"I can't really find anything good to say about the engine" Except that it will do a million miles reliably. There's already several examples out there of this engine doing exactly that.
Yes there is that. It is however still underwhelming. I test drove one of these while I was car shopping. No faster than the 4 runner, felt no more oomph and worse MPG. 4 Runner rode better and was quieter. The GX460 is a hard sell.
@@clarda1 I've driven both extensively. You're just wrong... No way in hell a 4Runner is quieter and rides nicer than the GX with air suspension. I agree acceleration is marginal between both because the GX ways a lot more, nice that the 4Runner gets better MPG while not requiring premium though.
Dom Joseph thats not true. I have driven several of both. The limited 4runner rode better, and was quieter / more isolated than the gx460 I drove. This has been my experience and I am extremely picky. The gx460 felt like a truck and the 4 runner didn’t.
The gx is the happy middle ground for a luxury SUV. Big enough for the occasional 3rd row passengers, more than enough towing for this size class (6500 lbs), plenty of capability. Still small enough that parking is a breeze, not so heavy duty so the suspension is tuned harsh, off-road capability doesn't compromise the ride and its genuily a comfortable and luxurious place to be. I have a 470 and its great for us. Tows our 3500 popup no sweat (and our 6500 boat adequately) and when we get to where we are camping we just unhook it and take whatever trail any reasonable person would take a stock 4x4 all through the desert. All the room for cargo or when needed to haul extra kids or adults around on short or long term trips. The fuel economy does suck, but that engine will last and last and last.
Patrick Rich there are several engines in the class that will last and last and last and all you need to do is perform regular maintenance on them to keep them running. You guys have got to stop slapping Toyota/Lexus on the wrist in response to areas where they CAN and *should* improve their products. They shouldn’t solely rely on just reliability and continue to be taken seriously in a ever so changing and very competitive market when people need more than just a engine that will last. Americans want comfortable, luxurious, reliable, adequately powered, fuel efficient, and good looking luxury vehicles. There’s no excuse for anything from ANY manufacturer to be a 2020 model year, require premium fuel, and have a underwhelming engine *AND* horrible fuel economy. No excuse at all. NONE. Please stop it. Cmon Toyota, up your game here!!
@@mybro727 Its a fair point, except that the Toyota/Lexus thing is real and its born out in data. They are the longest owned vehicles, the vehicles with the highest dependability scores and are consistently reliable. While I don't think its mutually exclusive to have technology work with reliability there is a correlation with the Toyota method of iterative improvement and their reputation. Small changes keep things from breaking. People are happy to pay for it too, not just in the "Toyota tax", people are happy to trade up-to-the minute infotainment for consistency, and peace of mind in ownership. Are they for everyone? No and there are dozens of choices for people not willing to pay that price. I will share your frustration that their truck life cycles are WAY too long. The 8 speed should have been in their trucks 2 years ago as an example.
Patrick Rich That’s the thing, the reliability is real for others too, some of which have better intuitive technology and are _still_ reliable. It’s not always true. For example My friend has a Toyota Camry right now whose infotainment system suddenly gave out on it’s own, the touch screen works when it wants. I had a Chevrolet Malibu of the same year and never experienced any electrical problems. Toyota is just like everyone else, they have issues too. Anyone can be reliable if they take the Toyota route and refuse to integrate new and innovative technology into their products to keep them up-to-date. It should be the build quality, materials, and engineering that make them reliable NOT the fact they “...don’t change much to keep things from breaking”. They should be able to be up-to-date, innovative, and _still_ be reliable like others if they’re truly the pinnacle of dependability.
@@mybro727 outside of the odd anecdote...there are no other peers to Toyota. It's not an opinion, its data. And frankly, it IS their iterative process that makes them that way. Other makes have hits, and other makes have quality parts, engineering and build quality, but literally no other manufacture is as consistent. Do Toyota's have problems? Duh of course they do, it's a complicated machine built en mass. Check any reliability survey, short term or long term, half of the top 10 will be Toyota. Check any long term ownership report, and Toyota will fill out half of that field. Im not saying there are only Toyota's and crap, im saying that. 1. Toyota reliability is real and data backs it up. 2. Their iterative process is key. this sometimes means slow and small changes.
Patrick Rich Maybe you’re missing my entire point. You won’t find anywhere that I ever said it was false that Toyota generally makes reliable products. In fact, my entire point was they shouldn’t completely rely on this reputation of reliability and do more to make consumers lives easier, better, and more comfortable. They should also stop being lazy and do more to remain competitive in the U.S. market which has several reliable brands currently with more up-to-date products. No one cares about how great they do in random surveys or the PP100 scores of random products, people want their personal experiences with their new vehicles to be great ones and that includes a reliable vehicle but the lists doesn’t end there. *That’s* the point I think I’ve made clear here. Toyota needs to step it up. Whether their reliability is real or not, this 2020 Lexus GX is a joke. They can and *SHOULD* do better.
My 09 LS460 starting making a loud grinding noise after I hit 180k when I’d start it in the cold. Never broke down but it scared me enough to get rid of it
@@muyoso thank you for your comment. I am considering a ‘21 GX and I noticed the compression ratio dropped from 11 to 10.2, it also states in the brochure premium fuel recommended. It doesn’t say required. I would appreciate if you could please comment. Thank you
Sigh, another incorrect KDSS description. To be fair I don't think I've seen a single reviewer get this detail right. KDSS isn't user controllable, you are mixing up KDSS and AVS. AVS is the adjustable dampers, KDSS is a fully passive hydraulically linked sway bar system. It isn't linked to the dampers at all.
+100% Sport-Normal-Comfort - these modes adjust the degree of the shock absorber stiffness. I had a 460 GX, sold it and bought Audi Q7. But really miss and want him again)
@@jaycarl1562 If the channel is going to do a review on KDSS they should at least know what they're talking about buddy. Else they shouldn't be talking about it at all. They SHOULD be know it alls, that's what I want from a channel that does reviews...
I have a 2015 Gx460 and i plan to keep it as long as i can, just love it! I plan to make it my overlanding vehicle 5 yrs down the line. To the folks deciding, i say just get it you won't regret it.
Owned a 2020 luxury trim. I got 10.2L/100km in highway and 14L/100km city. My friend Audi Q7 fuel consumption is just a litte lower around 10% less. GX has an big advantage, the V8 can tow 6500lbs and it is never under stress compared to turbo engine. I love my car!
Sorry, last comment - I find 2nd start is mostly useful in low range. 2nd low ratio is slower than 1st high but not as herky jerky as 1st low is so if Im on a trail and I want more fine speed control I put it in 2nd start low range for most of the time and If I need low 1st, I can just turn off the button as opposed to shifting to neutral and then into low range for additional gearing. having it force skip 1st low smooths out step off substantially without giving up fine control. Its also the right ratio for river fording
I agree the engine could be updated. But what the reviewer neglects to mention is reliability. I'd much rather have a reliable engine that has history and does 0-60 in 7.5 seconds then adding 100 ponies and hoping I don't have problems the day after the warranty expires.
The other problem is that testers idea of "slow" is not the real world owners idea of slow and again in the real world who wants the fuel mileage penalty high performance would give in a vehicle like this where constantly using the available power would soon have you under 10mpg.
Love my gx. Agree wouldn't mind more power especially since I am coming from a diesel. BTW Toyota. Give us the Prado in USA. I don't mind reliability over power and mpg though so time will tell
Agree also I had 3 times the Prado: 6cyl 3.4lts it was OK tge power but amazing ofroading. Ansd twice tge 3 doors manual 2.7lts 4cyl and also these were great in ofroading so i doubt this SUV needs more than the current 4.7lts V8 withoug risking reliability
Right Lane Hog probably a better answer out there. But I assume since Lexus is the premium brand, they want to reduce knock and vibration as much as possible, so premium fuel helps ever so slightly.
Thanks for the great review Stephen. Are you sure that the sway bar behavior is altered by the toggle switch? I was under the impression that it only changed the dampers.
Dom Joseph That doesn’t make any sense. If it’s tuned to be smoother or quieter the engine should be that right off the production floor regardless of the grade of fuel the customer puts in it. The customer shouldn’t have to deal with horrible fuel consumption *AND* pay more at the pump just to get a smoother version of the same engine in their Lexus in comparison to the same powertrain that’s in the Toyota and runs fine on regular.
mybro727 I own a 2015 GX and used regular gas for a few fills. Didn’t notice any knock. Didn’t want to continue my experiment too long because I’m a fan of premium gas regardless. I put premium in my Tacoma because I believe the engine appreciates it and I plan on keeping them for as long as possible
That's pretty rough MPG. I have a 2018 and easily get 20 MPG on highway trips with the air conditioning on. Weird. Anyway, I sold my miata and xterra to get this thing and I love it. Super comfy for daily, room behind the second row for my two 60lb dogs, not too much tech (lol that's an understatement).Hopefully it ends up being as reliable as the legends say.
The top priority with this GX, along with the LX and Toyota Land Cruiser is longevity. You could buy a range rover with all the latest toys that would be scrap metal after 12 years or you could buy one of these that will easily last 30.
Omar Spence Why would you pay this much to purchase a car that will last 30 years and the trade off is making your everyday life a less enjoyable experience? That’s not considering the fact the technology in the vehicle will probably be outdated within 5-6 years which would make it incompatible to every other piece of technology you own. I rather own the Range Rover that is just as off-road capable, more luxurious, better technology, more versatile, up-to-date, more powerful, better fuel economy, and will last me long enough that I can gift it to my kids if I won’t or lease & trade it in for something else.
this is a great platform, and is what the old 4 runner V8 was, until it was no longer available here in Canada and the US from lack of sales, it was 1.5% less than annual sales for North America , this engine has globally done more than 1 million miles is private owner vehicles in trucks and ultimately reliable , 3 rd row seats are strictly engineered for kids, not adults, this platform is globally proven to still outlast almost even one in its class, even G wagons have gone IFS now, because of market sales worldwide, urban driven, not off-road and still has the capability to do so, the economy for fuel is great, especially for full time all wheel drive and 5100 lbs, lot of new smaller suv or cuv barely do better than this and they are FWD based systems called awd, so this mileage is good, nice video Steven
I know. It was mostly an excuse to show off the 4x4 gear without putting the vehicle in any real jeopardy. Lexus did not want me going offroad in this one.
@@TFLoffroad I understand.... Wanted to thank you for your John Deere garden tractor video. When you released it, i was shopping for one myself. I ended up buying a new X758 with a 54" deck and 54" snowblower.
Stephen, How do you manage to put so much genuine enthusiasm into your videos while cutting out so much of the unnecessary hype? I hope that some day you get to test a new Lexus/Toyota 4X4 that lets you choose your own gear all the time ie a MANUAL. Lastly, I wonder if this GX costs less per HP than your tiny John Deere tractor. ;)
No brand offer a big bulletproof engine with low gas consume like that one. Surelly that engine may deliver 50 to 100 more hp but increassing the gas consume. 13.6 was my old 6cyl 3.5 Rav4 cimbined. Similar to a Explorer 3.5lts 6cyl and much better than any 3.5lts or 4.0lts Nissan engune. I sold a Murano 3.5lts because consumed 14 to 16lts by 100km and felt lazy with the CCTV so i think the Lexus 460 is the best SUV if you want to have a real 4x4 underneath
The low hanging grille, side sills and rear bumper hamper this beast’s off-road capability. If they were higher off the ground, this thing would be unstoppable.
And that's precisely why I wish that Toyota would put some money into upgrading the LC. Upgrade the electronics, get a few more mpgs out of the drivetrain, and it's good to go.
Here in the uk we’re right hand drive, on the jeep they moved the steering wheel but couldn’t be arsed to move the hand brake, I have the cup holders right next to me
I get it we are always going to get the same complaints about this vehicle but it really depends on what your needs are and I would typically never recommend buying one of these new. Back when I bought my 2015 GX Luxury I paid about $38K for it with 39,000 miles. (2 yr Lexus certified with unlimited miles and a couple of scheduled maintenance covered) The other vehicle I was cross shopping was a 4Runner and it just seemed like a no brainer for me personally for what I was getting for my money. Again, no way I buy one of these new off the lot.
Brian Simon I bought my 2014 used too. Buying used is the only way to go - even if you can afford new. With the GX’s rock solid reliability and durability, I can’t see any reason to buy new when you can save $20k or more by getting one just off lease with fairly low mileage.
I laid $40k for a 2017 GX luxury with 21k on the odometer from the Lexus dealership instead of $46k for a new 4Runner Limited. Wish there was a Toyota version. No brainer.
@@planbravo1011 As a matter of fact, there is a Toyota version in every other market. This Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is only sold as a Lexus GX in North America. The same body (with a Toyota badge attached) leaves the factory with a 4.6 V8, 4.0 V6, 2.7 4 Cylinder or a 2.8 Diesel 4 cylinder. Some models come with a manual transmission. They also sell a 2 door version of basically the same SUV.
The mpg calculation is actually 13.4 so a bit closer to the onboard computer. The calculation was slightly messed up as you used 12.592 instead of 12.952.
@@hermanjohnson9180 don't all full time AWD SUVs have a center diff lock? The ones with coupling units aren't really permanent AWD and more of on-demand
@@ldmtag The Explorer and _apparently_ the Rover don't have a locking center differential. Only transfer case. Old Explorers (Gen 3) even had a low range. The Explorer has a magnetic clutch and sensors that monitor traction so you don't get binding. You still have to be careful with 4X4 High though.
I never ran premium in ours. It was a silky smooth 4.6L. The body on frame was quite and was great in sand and snow. The auto level suspension was good for towing. I never towed over 3000lbs. I miss that SUV.
Wife traded her RX for one of these love it except for two things. Required to use premium gas and the stupid rear cargo door. Otherwise I would consider replacing my 4Runner with this when she gets new one.
Hey great video. I’m in the UAE and just bought the GX. Am however confused whether to take this vehicle for regular offroad and dune driving or should get a cheaper vehicle to do so. Any advice?
Watching this video has done my head in. Watching you open that back door says to me that it is made for the US market with there left hand drive. Not sure if I've had to many beers or not, but looks to me to be left hand drive friendly with the back door. (don't have to walk around it). Rewound 4 times now to watch. Not sure now, think I've lost it Thanks.....Damon from Austalia
I’m deciding if I should get one of these (used) or a 4runner used as well...For long road trips & minor off road terrain. The 4unner looks like a bargain right about now 2016 or so
Smooth Operator I thought so as well until I compared both and evaluated how I would use the vehicle (100% road; snow, rain). V8, full-time 4wd, and significantly more luxury. I bought a 16 GX Luxury (loaded) for not much more than a 4R Limited. I came from a 06 LC that we had for 16 years; GX is a nice replacement.
I used to do that, not anymore. It will damage your car from overfilling it. It will damage the Vapor Recovery System. Stick to one click. Besides, what do you gain for putting maybe another $0.50 worth of gas?
You really didn't need any switches to get out of that off pavement situation--you could have just driven out. Also, if you were going for over the top unnecessary overkill, you forgot to lock the center differential. Also, why could it use a few more gears? I never feel as though I want one of those 'worse at shifting' 8 and 10 speeds Lexus offers. And again, the power is enough. I never feel like I need more. It would be fun to have more, but the power is just fine. I'd rather an engine that never breaks than having a power boost from time to time when I never need it.
Sadly in the UK we no longer get the Toyota LandCruiser LC series and never even got the Lexus GX series. We now have a Land Cruiser Prado, or a Lexus RX.
Your criticisms are typical auto reviews of this vehicle which in my view anyway are misguided. This vehicle is not a sports car. The engine and transmission are a legacy that Lexus has deliberately left intact and only incrementally improved as needed. It is not all things to all people. It , in my opinion, is marketed to people who want what Lexus is offering. There is nothing quite like it and is appreciated by its unique customer base.
@@rightlanehog3151 I completely agree. I had a 4Runner with the 4.7L prior to getting the GX460. Both have performed flawlessly and had abundant power whenever needed. The biggest thing of course is the reliability, who else can match Toyota V8 reliability? Everyone says how expensive these vehicles are but when you amortize the cost over 300K+ miles the economics invert towards the Toyota/Lexus favor.
@@williamcopeland2732 Where do I begin agreeing with you? Who can match Toyota V6 , 4 cylinder or even 3 cylinder reliability? I have no data to back in up but I suspect the V10 in the Lexus LFA will prove to be reliable and the V12 they used to put in the Toyota Century was pretty good too. I will actually disagree by saying in takes a lot less than 300,000 miles to realize substantial savings in a GX because the competition is famously unreliable.
@@williamcopeland2732 Since you own one, you ought to check out the opposite end of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado range. Your Lexus GX is the top dog but I would be shopping at the low end of the market where they come with cloth seats, a basic 2.7 engine and a manual transmission. There are numerous videos posted on UA-cam that show multiple variations of the same SUV . In Britain they sell a Land Cruiser Utility Commercial version with steel wheels and an optional back seat. That one is a Diesel but the same bare bones model comes with gas engines in other countries.
Hello. Thank you for the video. Did you use mud and sand regime through multi-terrain while driving on slippery road? And did you switched central differential lock on?
For any planning to get one of these. Please must get a used one certified also that will help you too much about most.....save money, not regret, happy..... You what! Brand new and used are damn thing same ( just steering wheel) expensive too. I just got 2017 upgraded the grilles 2020 costs 700$ was satisfied. Other things about it!!! Not worry anything iam honest to you guys. A must vehicle buy.
Your energy is good. The camera shots are good. For a 1 man band, you do great work for TFL. As for the vehicle, for the price, I would hope it would do all those things. However, my 4Runner TRD Off Road KDSS is all done w/out flipping any switches and it is is 50K less. Makes you wonder why a luxury SUV of that size and cost is not automatically adjusting for you. I had an old 89 Nissan Pathfinder that had the suspension switch that you had to flip for your desired ride affect. Frankly, I like the TRD KDSS doing it all automatically for me.
There is a reason for the V8. Toyota doesn't want to invest in dying diesel tech. I wouldn't want to venture far away with a modern diesel with DPF and DEF.
I was on same shoes u r in now get different tyre and 3 inch lift will take u any where that u want , without lift also I can take it dunes but u gonna hurt the front bumper
@Mitch09 The 4Runner covers the non- luxury market here quite well as it is priced $20-30,000 less than the GX. Between the USA and Canada they sell around 150,000 4Runners per year. Where Toyota is missing some sales is in the low end of the 4X4 market. Though it is becoming a cult vehicle today, the FJ was a badly over-styled attempt at a cheaper 4x4 until sales fizzled out. I think the 2 door Prado would work here if it was priced around $30,000 as the FJ was.
I’ve heard of others getting as good as 9L/100km on road trips. For comparison my diesel Prado with the newest 2.8 gets about 7L/100 highway and 11L/100 city, I’ve even seen it down in the 5s while cruising at 100, pretty damn good.
17mpg out of that V8 only going avg 35mph isn’t bad. But based on what I’ve heard from owners, you have to be reallllly conservative with your speed and throttle to get those MPG’s up. While I understand it’s a Lexus product and is meant to be a lot more refined than a Toyota, I think the Tundra’s V8 would’ve worked fine on this platform, takes regular too.
These engines should run fine on regular. It's just a timing tune, it will derate itself for regular just fine. At least a suspect it's the case with ur, I know it's the case for the uz
Patrick Rich The engine adjusts the timing to the octane, but owners tracked a loss of performance and mpg. Basically evening out the difference between the price per gallon with regular and premium
@@amanwithaplan4103 you lose power but the Lexus version is a bump up over Toyota versions anyway so you are just going down to Toyota levels. In the case of my 2uz it's 3 peak hp and 15 peak lbs-ft. There is literally no difference in the motors other than timing. I've noticed no loss of efficiency in my 2 years of keeping track and logging. I do notice the difference in timing and if I'm towing I use premium. I hardly notice the difference in power. The price difference in fuels is 15%... you won't get 15% worse economy with regular. That's 2+ mpg.
I agree on this mpg not being bad for that speed. I'm wondering what gear Steve was in and am thinking the best mileage is going to be more in that 45-50 mph sweet spot.
It's like they had left over parts from the previous generation of 4runners and threw a new body with a touch of tech on top. Now they can charge 65K USD for something with parts that are old as a teenager. Cheap gas and a great economy have made automakers greedy in the full sized section of suvs and pickup trucks.
The price is way too much until you realize its $15000 more than a loaded Wrangler Rubicon! It almost sounds reasonable.All that luxury and a V8! Who am I kidding? Both are crazy expensive. Maybe after 3 years it would be something to look at.
For some odd reason the GX depreciates faster than the 4Runner built in the same factory. After 3-5 years they become a relative bargain especially considering a GX will have a much cushier life than a 4Runner.
Another great review, nice work. Nailed the GX460 value proposition.
instablaster.
"I can't really find anything good to say about the engine" Except that it will do a million miles reliably. There's already several examples out there of this engine doing exactly that.
Yes there is that. It is however still underwhelming. I test drove one of these while I was car shopping. No faster than the 4 runner, felt no more oomph and worse MPG. 4 Runner rode better and was quieter. The GX460 is a hard sell.
Truly said
@@clarda1 I've driven both extensively. You're just wrong... No way in hell a 4Runner is quieter and rides nicer than the GX with air suspension. I agree acceleration is marginal between both because the GX ways a lot more, nice that the 4Runner gets better MPG while not requiring premium though.
Dom Joseph thats not true. I have driven several of both. The limited 4runner rode better, and was quieter / more isolated than the gx460 I drove. This has been my experience and I am extremely picky. The gx460 felt like a truck and the 4 runner didn’t.
clarda1 you’re an idiot
The gx is the happy middle ground for a luxury SUV. Big enough for the occasional 3rd row passengers, more than enough towing for this size class (6500 lbs), plenty of capability. Still small enough that parking is a breeze, not so heavy duty so the suspension is tuned harsh, off-road capability doesn't compromise the ride and its genuily a comfortable and luxurious place to be. I have a 470 and its great for us. Tows our 3500 popup no sweat (and our 6500 boat adequately) and when we get to where we are camping we just unhook it and take whatever trail any reasonable person would take a stock 4x4 all through the desert. All the room for cargo or when needed to haul extra kids or adults around on short or long term trips. The fuel economy does suck, but that engine will last and last and last.
Patrick Rich there are several engines in the class that will last and last and last and all you need to do is perform regular maintenance on them to keep them running. You guys have got to stop slapping Toyota/Lexus on the wrist in response to areas where they CAN and *should* improve their products. They shouldn’t solely rely on just reliability and continue to be taken seriously in a ever so changing and very competitive market when people need more than just a engine that will last. Americans want comfortable, luxurious, reliable, adequately powered, fuel efficient, and good looking luxury vehicles. There’s no excuse for anything from ANY manufacturer to be a 2020 model year, require premium fuel, and have a underwhelming engine *AND* horrible fuel economy. No excuse at all. NONE. Please stop it. Cmon Toyota, up your game here!!
@@mybro727 Its a fair point, except that the Toyota/Lexus thing is real and its born out in data. They are the longest owned vehicles, the vehicles with the highest dependability scores and are consistently reliable.
While I don't think its mutually exclusive to have technology work with reliability there is a correlation with the Toyota method of iterative improvement and their reputation. Small changes keep things from breaking. People are happy to pay for it too, not just in the "Toyota tax", people are happy to trade up-to-the minute infotainment for consistency, and peace of mind in ownership.
Are they for everyone? No and there are dozens of choices for people not willing to pay that price.
I will share your frustration that their truck life cycles are WAY too long. The 8 speed should have been in their trucks 2 years ago as an example.
Patrick Rich That’s the thing, the reliability is real for others too, some of which have better intuitive technology and are _still_ reliable. It’s not always true. For example My friend has a Toyota Camry right now whose infotainment system suddenly gave out on it’s own, the touch screen works when it wants. I had a Chevrolet Malibu of the same year and never experienced any electrical problems. Toyota is just like everyone else, they have issues too. Anyone can be reliable if they take the Toyota route and refuse to integrate new and innovative technology into their products to keep them up-to-date. It should be the build quality, materials, and engineering that make them reliable NOT the fact they “...don’t change much to keep things from breaking”. They should be able to be up-to-date, innovative, and _still_ be reliable like others if they’re truly the pinnacle of dependability.
@@mybro727 outside of the odd anecdote...there are no other peers to Toyota. It's not an opinion, its data. And frankly, it IS their iterative process that makes them that way. Other makes have hits, and other makes have quality parts, engineering and build quality, but literally no other manufacture is as consistent. Do Toyota's have problems? Duh of course they do, it's a complicated machine built en mass. Check any reliability survey, short term or long term, half of the top 10 will be Toyota. Check any long term ownership report, and Toyota will fill out half of that field.
Im not saying there are only Toyota's and crap, im saying that.
1. Toyota reliability is real and data backs it up.
2. Their iterative process is key. this sometimes means slow and small changes.
Patrick Rich Maybe you’re missing my entire point. You won’t find anywhere that I ever said it was false that Toyota generally makes reliable products. In fact, my entire point was they shouldn’t completely rely on this reputation of reliability and do more to make consumers lives easier, better, and more comfortable. They should also stop being lazy and do more to remain competitive in the U.S. market which has several reliable brands currently with more up-to-date products. No one cares about how great they do in random surveys or the PP100 scores of random products, people want their personal experiences with their new vehicles to be great ones and that includes a reliable vehicle but the lists doesn’t end there. *That’s* the point I think I’ve made clear here. Toyota needs to step it up. Whether their reliability is real or not, this 2020 Lexus GX is a joke. They can and *SHOULD* do better.
Wish Toyota would give Tacoma and 4Runner the option of the 4.6 V8.....a beast of an engine
They could use the Tundra tuned 4.6 that makes about 1 hp less but runs on regular. ;)
Literally the only reason I'm looking outside of Toyota after crashing my 4runner 😭
My 09 LS460 starting making a loud grinding noise after I hit 180k when I’d start it in the cold. Never broke down but it scared me enough to get rid of it
@@rightlanehog3151 Or you could just use regular in this engine. It's not like it wont run, it will be absolutely fine.
@@muyoso thank you for your comment. I am considering a ‘21 GX and I noticed the compression ratio dropped from 11 to 10.2, it also states in the brochure premium fuel recommended. It doesn’t say required. I would appreciate if you could please comment. Thank you
Sigh, another incorrect KDSS description. To be fair I don't think I've seen a single reviewer get this detail right. KDSS isn't user controllable, you are mixing up KDSS and AVS. AVS is the adjustable dampers, KDSS is a fully passive hydraulically linked sway bar system. It isn't linked to the dampers at all.
+100%
Sport-Normal-Comfort - these modes adjust the degree of the shock absorber stiffness.
I had a 460 GX, sold it and bought Audi Q7. But really miss and want him again)
Thank you for clarifying this.
Sigh, another Mr. KNOWitALL. Your not being fair by sighing at people who create and share. Especially people who are better at it than you...
@@jaycarl1562 If the channel is going to do a review on KDSS they should at least know what they're talking about buddy. Else they shouldn't be talking about it at all. They SHOULD be know it alls, that's what I want from a channel that does reviews...
I have a 2015 Gx460 and i plan to keep it as long as i can, just love it! I plan to make it my overlanding vehicle 5 yrs down the line. To the folks deciding, i say just get it you won't regret it.
Owned a 2020 luxury trim. I got 10.2L/100km in highway and 14L/100km city. My friend Audi Q7 fuel consumption is just a litte lower around 10% less. GX has an big advantage, the V8 can tow 6500lbs and it is never under stress compared to turbo engine. I love my car!
Sorry, last comment - I find 2nd start is mostly useful in low range. 2nd low ratio is slower than 1st high but not as herky jerky as 1st low is so if Im on a trail and I want more fine speed control I put it in 2nd start low range for most of the time and If I need low 1st, I can just turn off the button as opposed to shifting to neutral and then into low range for additional gearing. having it force skip 1st low smooths out step off substantially without giving up fine control. Its also the right ratio for river fording
We the people are always interested in what the actual owners experience in day to day life .
Waiting for the next generation ~ 10 years later~~~
I feel like 35mph can’t count as Highway driving that’s less than normal city speed limit in USA😂
I can agree with you. Who drive 35 in a 65 zone Texas is 75 on the interstate highway 😆
Its in Canada tho it's full of ice and snow lol.
I agree the engine could be updated. But what the reviewer neglects to mention is reliability. I'd much rather have a reliable engine that has history and does 0-60 in 7.5 seconds then adding 100 ponies and hoping I don't have problems the day after the warranty expires.
The other problem is that testers idea of "slow" is not the real world owners idea of slow and again in the real world who wants the fuel mileage penalty high performance would give in a vehicle like this where constantly using the available power would soon have you under 10mpg.
Yes it is. An absolute beast in the snow.
Love my gx. Agree wouldn't mind more power especially since I am coming from a diesel. BTW Toyota. Give us the Prado in USA. I don't mind reliability over power and mpg though so time will tell
Agree also I had 3 times the Prado: 6cyl 3.4lts it was OK tge power but amazing ofroading. Ansd twice tge 3 doors manual 2.7lts 4cyl and also these were great in ofroading so i doubt this SUV needs more than the current 4.7lts V8 withoug risking reliability
Jonathan Machado i had the 1kz 3.0L turbo diesel 3 door prado
@@randymartosoewito7892 wish we had that here
@@jonathanmachado439 do you mean you have had 3 prados in the past?
Randy Martosoewito Warna Silver bro?
Can anyone explain how/why they tune a 301 HP 4.6 V8 in a Lexus to run on Premium when the 300 HP 4.6 in the Tundra runs fine on Regular?
Right Lane Hog probably a better answer out there.
But I assume since Lexus is the premium brand, they want to reduce knock and vibration as much as possible, so premium fuel helps ever so slightly.
Thanks for the great review Stephen. Are you sure that the sway bar behavior is altered by the toggle switch? I was under the impression that it only changed the dampers.
@@nettb Correct, the GX is tuned to be smoother and quieter.
Dom Joseph That doesn’t make any sense. If it’s tuned to be smoother or quieter the engine should be that right off the production floor regardless of the grade of fuel the customer puts in it. The customer shouldn’t have to deal with horrible fuel consumption *AND* pay more at the pump just to get a smoother version of the same engine in their Lexus in comparison to the same powertrain that’s in the Toyota and runs fine on regular.
mybro727 I own a 2015 GX and used regular gas for a few fills. Didn’t notice any knock. Didn’t want to continue my experiment too long because I’m a fan of premium gas regardless. I put premium in my Tacoma because I believe the engine appreciates it and I plan on keeping them for as long as possible
That's pretty rough MPG. I have a 2018 and easily get 20 MPG on highway trips with the air conditioning on. Weird. Anyway, I sold my miata and xterra to get this thing and I love it. Super comfy for daily, room behind the second row for my two 60lb dogs, not too much tech (lol that's an understatement).Hopefully it ends up being as reliable as the legends say.
This SUV is powerful... I ❤️ the Lexus GX460.
The top priority with this GX, along with the LX and Toyota Land Cruiser is longevity. You could buy a range rover with all the latest toys that would be scrap metal after 12 years or you could buy one of these that will easily last 30.
Omar Spence Why would you pay this much to purchase a car that will last 30 years and the trade off is making your everyday life a less enjoyable experience? That’s not considering the fact the technology in the vehicle will probably be outdated within 5-6 years which would make it incompatible to every other piece of technology you own. I rather own the Range Rover that is just as off-road capable, more luxurious, better technology, more versatile, up-to-date, more powerful, better fuel economy, and will last me long enough that I can gift it to my kids if I won’t or lease & trade it in for something else.
toyotas idea behind lower power is that lower power causes less stress on their motors and helps with longevity
Exactly, less high revs. People are careless hence the reason why people blow their hellcat motors all the time.
I saw one on the road yesterday. Dude I love the front end!
Agent. K. Yup pic doesn’t do justice, looks pretty sick in person.
They’re everywhere. They’re actually pretty common here in the southern New York
The GX is a great family car and at same time going on camping and ski vacation
First review I enjoyed watching from start to finish, great work and very impressed with knowledge
Exactly, i'm glad you folks in Canada have clear understanding what ditches do, they suck you in, I'm Czech they do the same thing where i'm from
this is a great platform, and is what the old 4 runner V8 was, until it was no longer available here in Canada and the US from lack of sales, it was 1.5% less than annual sales for North America , this engine has globally done more than 1 million miles is private owner vehicles in trucks and ultimately reliable , 3 rd row seats are strictly engineered for kids, not adults, this platform is globally proven to still outlast almost even one in its class, even G wagons have gone IFS now, because of market sales worldwide, urban driven, not off-road and still has the capability to do so, the economy for fuel is great, especially for full time all wheel drive and 5100 lbs, lot of new smaller suv or cuv barely do better than this and they are FWD based systems called awd, so this mileage is good, nice video Steven
Just bought a 2015 gx 460 , no regrets at all !
Beautiful and very reliable , American cars and trucks is no comparison this is my third Lexus suv
Dude..... You weren't stuck
I know. It was mostly an excuse to show off the 4x4 gear without putting the vehicle in any real jeopardy. Lexus did not want me going offroad in this one.
@@TFLoffroad I understand.... Wanted to thank you for your John Deere garden tractor video. When you released it, i was shopping for one myself. I ended up buying a new X758 with a 54" deck and 54" snowblower.
Stephen, How do you manage to put so much genuine enthusiasm into your videos while cutting out so much of the unnecessary hype? I hope that some day you get to test a new Lexus/Toyota 4X4 that lets you choose your own gear all the time ie a MANUAL. Lastly, I wonder if this GX costs less per HP than your tiny John Deere tractor. ;)
No brand offer a big bulletproof engine with low gas consume like that one.
Surelly that engine may deliver 50 to 100 more hp but increassing the gas consume.
13.6 was my old 6cyl 3.5 Rav4 cimbined.
Similar to a Explorer 3.5lts 6cyl and much better than any 3.5lts or 4.0lts Nissan engune.
I sold a Murano 3.5lts because consumed 14 to 16lts by 100km and felt lazy with the CCTV so i think the Lexus 460 is the best SUV if you want to have a real 4x4 underneath
The low hanging grille, side sills and rear bumper hamper this beast’s off-road capability. If they were higher off the ground, this thing would be unstoppable.
And that's precisely why I wish that Toyota would put some money into upgrading the LC. Upgrade the electronics, get a few more mpgs out of the drivetrain, and it's good to go.
Lexus needs to stop teasing the GXOR and actually build one.
@@brodiwheeler7583 nobody will buy it, because Lexus will most likely not even advertise the car properly. Sad.
I love the real world road trip MPG test. Thanks for a great review.
Here in the uk we’re right hand drive, on the jeep they moved the steering wheel but couldn’t be arsed to move the hand brake, I have the cup holders right next to me
Why would anybody in the Mother Country buy a Fiat Jeep when they can get a Toyota Land Cruiser Utility Commercial that will last decades?
Right Lane Hog that shit looks like a RAV4 😂
13L/100 is good for any V6/V8 SUV.
I get it we are always going to get the same complaints about this vehicle but it really depends on what your needs are and I would typically never recommend buying one of these new. Back when I bought my 2015 GX Luxury I paid about $38K for it with 39,000 miles. (2 yr Lexus certified with unlimited miles and a couple of scheduled maintenance covered) The other vehicle I was cross shopping was a 4Runner and it just seemed like a no brainer for me personally for what I was getting for my money. Again, no way I buy one of these new off the lot.
Brian Simon I bought my 2014 used too. Buying used is the only way to go - even if you can afford new. With the GX’s rock solid reliability and durability, I can’t see any reason to buy new when you can save $20k or more by getting one just off lease with fairly low mileage.
I laid $40k for a 2017 GX luxury with 21k on the odometer from the Lexus dealership instead of $46k for a new 4Runner Limited. Wish there was a Toyota version. No brainer.
@@planbravo1011 As a matter of fact, there is a Toyota version in every other market. This Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is only sold as a Lexus GX in North America. The same body (with a Toyota badge attached) leaves the factory with a 4.6 V8, 4.0 V6, 2.7 4 Cylinder or a 2.8 Diesel 4 cylinder. Some models come with a manual transmission. They also sell a 2 door version of basically the same SUV.
I must admit, I like the way you do your testing. Really an apples vs apples! Cool video. I’d drive one!
The mpg calculation is actually 13.4 so a bit closer to the onboard computer. The calculation was slightly messed up as you used 12.592 instead of 12.952.
Not that it really matters much, but odd that they don't mention snow in traction settings
If you can live without the uh rear air suspension, you can get off lease clean GX460s for low $30's now.
They are a bargain compared to used 4Runners.
@@rightlanehog3151 they really are.
Exactly what I did. Got a 16 without the rear air suspension with 30k miles for $37k.
@@conquest562 in Canada?
Excellent video due to how comprehensive it was.
Hello sir
About GX and lx which one is comfortable and for off road ?
Please tell me please
Best regards
Chiv se
Locked diff splits torque to the axle with traction. It's not 50:50 it can be anything from 0:100 to 100:0
Yup. And a few SUVs work just like that and are full time 4WD vehicles just like this Gx. Jeep, Explorer and Range Rover to name a few.
@@hermanjohnson9180 don't all full time AWD SUVs have a center diff lock? The ones with coupling units aren't really permanent AWD and more of on-demand
@@ldmtag The Explorer and _apparently_ the Rover don't have a locking center differential. Only transfer case. Old Explorers (Gen 3) even had a low range. The Explorer has a magnetic clutch and sensors that monitor traction so you don't get binding. You still have to be careful with 4X4 High though.
I never ran premium in ours. It was a silky smooth 4.6L. The body on frame was quite and was great in sand and snow. The auto level suspension was good for towing. I never towed over 3000lbs. I miss that SUV.
So you damaged the engine..
@@hermanjohnson9180 no. There is nothing different from the 4.6L that is in the Toyota Tundra. It doesn't require premium.
@@VARITHMS I drive a Ford and not a Toyota so I'll take your word for it.
@DavidRC LUL @ you
I'm a Toyota fan and don't normally like the Lexus grill, but this one looks pretty sharp.
That is an amazing vehicle does it all
Wife traded her RX for one of these love it except for two things. Required to use premium gas and the stupid rear cargo door. Otherwise I would consider replacing my 4Runner with this when she gets new one.
Just use regular. Its not gonna report you to Lexus authorities. My GX has 250k and uses regular only.
@@muyoso False. Breakdown of engine components (Pistons) show loudly what grade of fuel used. Its called carbon build up.
I don’t mind the rear refrigerator door.
Hey great video. I’m in the UAE and just bought the GX. Am however confused whether to take this vehicle for regular offroad and dune driving or should get a cheaper vehicle to do so. Any advice?
When its in 4low KDSS really loosens up.
Watching this video has done my head in. Watching you open that back door says to me that it is made for the US market with there left hand drive. Not sure if I've had to many beers or not, but looks to me to be left hand drive friendly with the back door. (don't have to walk around it). Rewound 4 times now to watch. Not sure now, think I've lost it Thanks.....Damon from Austalia
I’m deciding if I should get one of these (used) or a 4runner used as well...For long road trips & minor off road terrain.
The 4unner looks like a bargain right about now 2016 or so
Smooth Operator GX is superior in literally every way.
Greg Weik yea but that price though.
They have made them since 2003. Nice older ones for well under 10k if you look. Awesome trucks.
Smooth Operator I thought so as well until I compared both and evaluated how I would use the vehicle (100% road; snow, rain). V8, full-time 4wd, and significantly more luxury. I bought a 16 GX Luxury (loaded) for not much more than a 4R Limited. I came from a 06 LC that we had for 16 years; GX is a nice replacement.
Should you always wait for the second click when you fill up? Is that for every car?
I used to do that, not anymore. It will damage your car from overfilling it. It will damage the Vapor Recovery System. Stick to one click. Besides, what do you gain for putting maybe another $0.50 worth of gas?
You really didn't need any switches to get out of that off pavement situation--you could have just driven out. Also, if you were going for over the top unnecessary overkill, you forgot to lock the center differential. Also, why could it use a few more gears? I never feel as though I want one of those 'worse at shifting' 8 and 10 speeds Lexus offers. And again, the power is enough. I never feel like I need more. It would be fun to have more, but the power is just fine. I'd rather an engine that never breaks than having a power boost from time to time when I never need it.
13 lit, 100km is very good, plus its winter so not bad
Sadly in the UK we no longer get the Toyota LandCruiser LC series and never even got the Lexus GX series. We now have a Land Cruiser Prado, or a Lexus RX.
This Lexus GX is a Land Cruiser Prado with a different Grille attached. I wish we had your 2 door Land Cruiser equipped with a Petrol engine.
Your criticisms are typical auto reviews of this vehicle which in my view anyway are misguided. This vehicle is not a sports car. The engine and transmission are a legacy that Lexus has deliberately left intact and only incrementally improved as needed. It is not all things to all people. It , in my opinion, is marketed to people who want what Lexus is offering. There is nothing quite like it and is appreciated by its unique customer base.
I have seen UA-cam videos giving the Lexus GX up to 23 mpg on long highway trips, so something seems amisss here!
What highway are you driving an average of 35mph on?? Did the truck even get into 6th gear?
I love this review, we own a GX460 just like this and you’re right about everything except one thing. Power is fine for normal people.
A Lexus V8 provides the finest power available anywhere.
@@rightlanehog3151 I completely agree. I had a 4Runner with the 4.7L prior to getting the GX460. Both have performed flawlessly and had abundant power whenever needed. The biggest thing of course is the reliability, who else can match Toyota V8 reliability? Everyone says how expensive these vehicles are but when you amortize the cost over 300K+ miles the economics invert towards the Toyota/Lexus favor.
@@williamcopeland2732 Where do I begin agreeing with you? Who can match Toyota V6 , 4 cylinder or even 3 cylinder reliability? I have no data to back in up but I suspect the V10 in the Lexus LFA will prove to be reliable and the V12 they used to put in the Toyota Century was pretty good too. I will actually disagree by saying in takes a lot less than 300,000 miles to realize substantial savings in a GX because the competition is famously unreliable.
@@rightlanehog3151 wow that is a great point about the competiton!
@@williamcopeland2732 Since you own one, you ought to check out the opposite end of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado range. Your Lexus GX is the top dog but I would be shopping at the low end of the market where they come with cloth seats, a basic 2.7 engine and a manual transmission. There are numerous videos posted on UA-cam that show multiple variations of the same SUV . In Britain they sell a Land Cruiser Utility Commercial version with steel wheels and an optional back seat. That one is a Diesel but the same bare bones model comes with gas engines in other countries.
How’s it with the car seats and kids? Comfort in the second row?
I have three Lexus vehicles all of them are great!
Hello. Thank you for the video. Did you use mud and sand regime through multi-terrain while driving on slippery road? And did you switched central differential lock on?
Great job. Enjoyed the review thoroughly.
Nice job Stephen... This car looks really well designed...I like it. Looks nice n heavy
Wish It didn’t have all the body work to get ripped off on rough trails. It could be better than a 4runner with a v8 and third row luxury
what is this liters you speak of?
How does a v8 make so little power???
OMGz1122 seem likes Lexus does most things for the reason of long term reliability. I guess that’s their market.
Excellent review! Thanks
What gear were you in at 35mph? I'm betting you were not in top gear and the fuel mileage would have bee better at 45-50 mph.
Average speed.
Average speed of 34 MPH is highway driving?
Nice review, you covered stuff others never touched on, love the towel demo
Wait so mostly highway driving...but an average speed of 35mph? So then on a road trip in the US hitting 20mpg shouldn't be too hard?
Hi can you guys do a review about the GX460 Towing capability’s thank you
I wish my GMC PU has second start. That’s a good feature for winter.
Peter Langford just put it in manual and shift down to 2
Love my Gx man
For any planning to get one of these. Please must get a used one certified also that will help you too much about most.....save money, not regret, happy..... You what! Brand new and used are damn thing same ( just steering wheel) expensive too. I just got 2017 upgraded the grilles 2020 costs 700$ was satisfied. Other things about it!!! Not worry anything iam honest to you guys. A must vehicle buy.
Waiting for the 2022’s to be released and I’m in!
Your energy is good. The camera shots are good. For a 1 man band, you do great work for TFL. As for the vehicle, for the price, I would hope it would do all those things. However, my 4Runner TRD Off Road KDSS is all done w/out flipping any switches and it is is 50K less. Makes you wonder why a luxury SUV of that size and cost is not automatically adjusting for you. I had an old 89 Nissan Pathfinder that had the suspension switch that you had to flip for your desired ride affect. Frankly, I like the TRD KDSS doing it all automatically for me.
6 speed transmissions are better, 8 speed trans always shutter due to the software.
The best review that I've seen on UA-cam. Thanks for the thorough review.
Good looking truck!!! Nice video, I like the red leather that’s awesome!
Nah don't see the reason for these small block V8's anymore rather go for the new 3.0 turbo diesels, more torque and 30MPG for better range.
Garth Hayward except those V8’s’s from Toyota/Lexus last forever...you could own that thing for twenty years
robert powers The way it's moving all ICE vehicles will be banned by 2030 so I wouldn't buy one thinking to long term.
@@garthhayward9581 Not even remotely likely.
Thank the vw/Audi dieselgate for screwing up the North America diesel market.
There is a reason for the V8. Toyota doesn't want to invest in dying diesel tech. I wouldn't want to venture far away with a modern diesel with DPF and DEF.
Awesome. I love the gx460. Can you do a video walk around of the interior and with the cool box? I am hearing next year a complete redesign of the gx
I was on same shoes u r in now get different tyre and 3 inch lift will take u any where that u want , without lift also I can take it dunes but u gonna hurt the front bumper
"Like it was nothing..... " it was nothing
Nice that ubderbody feature will definitely make it to next gen Landcruiser.
Excellent review....best regards from México..
Steven always killin it.
Toyota really needs to refresh their entire lineup. Its pretty sad now. They are living off success from the 90s.
I'll gladly take 90s Toyota goodness than the new plastic crap.
@Mitch09 The 4Runner covers the non- luxury market here quite well as it is priced $20-30,000 less than the GX. Between the USA and Canada they sell around 150,000 4Runners per year. Where Toyota is missing some sales is in the low end of the 4X4 market. Though it is becoming a cult vehicle today, the FJ was a badly over-styled attempt at a cheaper 4x4 until sales fizzled out. I think the 2 door Prado would work here if it was priced around $30,000 as the FJ was.
Nice report and geart vidoe borther 👍👍👍👍
I’ve heard of others getting as good as 9L/100km on road trips. For comparison my diesel Prado with the newest 2.8 gets about 7L/100 highway and 11L/100 city, I’ve even seen it down in the 5s while cruising at 100, pretty damn good.
17mpg out of that V8 only going avg 35mph isn’t bad. But based on what I’ve heard from owners, you have to be reallllly conservative with your speed and throttle to get those MPG’s up.
While I understand it’s a Lexus product and is meant to be a lot more refined than a Toyota, I think the Tundra’s V8 would’ve worked fine on this platform, takes regular too.
These engines should run fine on regular. It's just a timing tune, it will derate itself for regular just fine. At least a suspect it's the case with ur, I know it's the case for the uz
Patrick Rich The engine adjusts the timing to the octane, but owners tracked a loss of performance and mpg. Basically evening out the difference between the price per gallon with regular and premium
@@amanwithaplan4103 you lose power but the Lexus version is a bump up over Toyota versions anyway so you are just going down to Toyota levels. In the case of my 2uz it's 3 peak hp and 15 peak lbs-ft. There is literally no difference in the motors other than timing. I've noticed no loss of efficiency in my 2 years of keeping track and logging. I do notice the difference in timing and if I'm towing I use premium. I hardly notice the difference in power. The price difference in fuels is 15%... you won't get 15% worse economy with regular. That's 2+ mpg.
I agree on this mpg not being bad for that speed. I'm wondering what gear Steve was in and am thinking the best mileage is going to be more in that 45-50 mph sweet spot.
Good review is this based on land cruiser ?
Very solid review, love your personality and thorough explanations. Take care!
GX and LX are the best luxury off road vehicles. Unfortunately waaaaay overdue for update. And people are starting to slowly turning away from them.
Pa Bi I think they make changes very slowly because that’s usually synonymous with long term reliability. It’s a trade off it seems.
What trim is this?
85k Canadian dollars is 64k US dollars so it's actually a good value.
They pay us in Canadian dollars.
How about reviewing the 2020 Lexus GX460 OUTLANDER CONCEPT ???
I’m getting one of these as soon as I graduate from school , take that Sally Mae !
Great info!!
It's like they had left over parts from the previous generation of 4runners and threw a new body with a touch of tech on top. Now they can charge 65K USD for something with parts that are old as a teenager. Cheap gas and a great economy have made automakers greedy in the full sized section of suvs and pickup trucks.
Greedy and rich.
Quality video. A +
great one, GX has something there to be produced in 2020.
tnx
The price is way too much until you realize its $15000 more than a loaded Wrangler Rubicon! It almost sounds reasonable.All that luxury and a V8! Who am I kidding? Both are crazy expensive. Maybe after 3 years it would be something to look at.
For some odd reason the GX depreciates faster than the 4Runner built in the same factory. After 3-5 years they become a relative bargain especially considering a GX will have a much cushier life than a 4Runner.
How do you compare a Lexus to a Jeep product LOL
Love this guy !